Towards a harmonised landscape for citizen science
THRIVE is a Horizon Europe project that advances citizen science for biodiversity and ecosystem observation by harmonising tools and data flows, building capacity, engaging diverse communities, and embedding citizen science data into policy and governance.
About
THRIVE is a three-year project, funded by the EU, that aims to bring together Europe’s fragmented citizen science community into a strong, inclusive and lasting network that supports biodiversity and ecosystem monitoring and helps inform EU environmental policies.
Guided by nature connectedness, THRIVE will not only foster stronger partnerships and inspire people to act, but also deliver a durable step change in how citizen science contributes to biodiversity and ecosystem resilience across Europe and beyond.
BROADEN the participation landscape by identifying and engaging actors who are affected by biodiversity and climate change but are not participating in citizen science. We will map (invisible) barriers and co-design tailored engagement strategies to foster broader participation.
UNIFY the biodiversity and ecosystem monitoring actors – citizen science initiatives, scientific experts, policy officers and citizens – into a pan-European network, creating long-lasting partnerships by fostering joint agency towards common goals.
EMPOWER stakeholders through capacity-building and tailored incentives. We will assess training needs, design a capacity-building portfolio, and develop train-the-trainer modules for community champions.
CONNECT biodiversity regulations and official indicators with citizen science data, so that citizen science initiatives can contribute to official policy monitoring schemes.
COMPILE an inventory of citizen science tools and best practices for data collection, analysis, sharing and usage, promoting accessible and interoperable standards validated by experts and practice cases.
IMPLEMENT methodologies for scaling systematic citizen science biodiversity observation and impact through practice cases, and gather lessons learned for wider replication.
Our methodology
Across Europe, thousands of people already record the nature around them. Our approach rests on one key assumption: people who feel connected to nature look after it.
01
We find out what already exists: the tools, training, policies and communities, and where the gaps and barriers are. Everything we learn is shared openly through citizenscience.eu.
02
We turn what we’ve learned into things people can use: practical training, harmonised tools and data flows, and workflows that connect citizen science to official monitoring.
03
We put it all to work in 7 real-world practice cases, from tracking invasive species across Europe to restoring marine habitats, and share what works so others can follow.
Pillar
We work together to protect biodiversity
We bring together people who care about nature or whose lives depend on it – farmers, foresters, fishers, hunters, urban planners, biologists, garden owners – with experts, decision makers and practitioners.
I want to contribute to the Engagement pillar →Pillar
Make your observations count
We find where citizen science can feed into EU frameworks such as the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and the Nature Restoration Regulation, and turn that knowledge into tools people can use.
I want to contribute to the Policy pillar →Pillar
Reliable technologies
We gather the best tools and methods, including modern approaches like eDNA, and harmonise how biodiversity observations are collected and shared, so data flows into open infrastructures like GBIF.
I want to contribute to the Tools pillar →Practice cases
Early-warning observations that help authorities respond faster.
Divers and coastal communities tracking seagrass and coral recovery.
Using citizen observations to plan wildlife corridors and land management.
Bringing hunters’ and fishers’ observations into national records.
Engaging new audiences through programmes like Vigie-Nature.
Connecting local bioblitzes to shared data platforms.
Showing how citizen data can feed official reporting.
News
ECSA is looking for a working student to contribute to the Beyond Barriers Horizon Europe project.
The European Climate Pact Flagship Event 2025, themed “Together in Action,” convened on March 18-19, 2025, at the European Commission’s Charlemagne Building in Brussels.
A coalition of Europe’s leading natural history museums and botanical gardens is calling on the world to celebrate the science that names, classifies, and protects life on Earth.
Was Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) truly ever a valued priority? Recent layoffs at Microsoft, Google, X and other tech giants often targeted employers and consultants working on DEI.
Events
Workshops, community calls and bioblitzes across Europe. A calendar of THRIVE events is on its way – and you’ll be able to add your own events, which appear once our team has reviewed them.
Coming soon
Tell us about it and we’ll share it with the THRIVE community.
Tell us about your eventJoin the network
If we want to protect our biodiversity, we need to work together. We are all inhabitants of planet Earth, and all have unique knowledge about it and how to protect it.
Who we are
Partners from across Europe working together.
European Citizen Science Association
Centre for Social Innovation
Natural History Museum of Denmark
Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle
NORDECOIt’s time to THRIVE: together towards a healthy planet
Join the networkContact
Questions, ideas or an event to share? A contact form is on its way.
*THRIVE uses the term citizen not in connection to citizenship: for the purposes of our project, citizen means every human being.